Dubai: an Isl--mic State in the United Arab Emirates

The Lord very graciously blessed the four evenings of our Healing Encounter here, organized by Pastor Mathew Thomas (Juxy) and his faithful leaders at Maranatha Full Gospel Church. From all accounts the teaching has left a significant impact upon the believers. One brother told me that in 15 years listening to biblical teaching, he had never heard what was taught from Scripture at the Encounter. (Dubai is a spiritual watering hole where conferences are held nearly weekly, including visits by preachers like Benny Hinn, Morris Cerullo, and David Cho Yonggi.) Evening after evening for four days, several hundred believers showed up faithfully after leaving work to attend the Healing Encounter, some from as far away as the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, 150 km away. This is quite encouraging in light of the plethora of special events held regularly in Dubai. One dear pastor came from the neighboring country of Oman, and will organize a Healing Encounter there for us next year. It opened the eyes of the believers to a new realm.

At one point during the fourth evening, I taught about mass healing from a distance, citing Luke 7. Then we asked the Lord to demonstrate it. I called a sister (a former Hindu) from the crowd to come up to the platform to minister. As she repeated after me and issued commands to infirmities to be healed in the name of Jesus, a number of people stood up to testify of their healing. Headaches disappeared, arms and shoulders were healed, and one young man said his poor hearing was restored.

Some comments.....

• "The Healing Encounter was something different from the others I have attended. I have learned something that I did not hear from the other pastors, here and in Kuwait. ...The best thing that impressed me was the quality of [...]. He is very humble servant of GOD…I have seen and met umpteen pastors, but [he is] the best."
  
  
• "To be frank, I have not attended any similar event or conference. ...My daughter was having severe leg pain and with mountain-moving faith, I prayed over her and by the grace of God she was healed. Today I had a severe headache and I exercised the same authority and now I am completely healed."
  
  
• ‘Twas an awesome experience we had encountered during your Healing Encounter back in Dubai."
  
  
• "The Healing Encounter sessions we had here in Dubai was a life-changing experience for many…"
  
  
• "I would say [the teaching was] very scriptural and biblical and I pray that all servants of God would do the same as what you did…not to have own “style." Our pattern should be our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles."
  
  
• "This is the first time I am attending such a class...I am very much impressed. Many a time I have prayed for the sick and waited on the Lord to act. ...I now understand we should take one more step and exercise the authority which Our Lord has given us to heal the sick and cast out demons... The teachings were very scriptural and biblical. All the healing encounters were taken from the Bible. During the teaching time itself God healed a person who was suffering for the past 38 years from arthritis in both his knees.